A Trip Towards Acceptance
by EtainBlack
Summary: After saying yes to Cosima's marriage proposal, Delphine finally talks her fiancée into going to France with her to tell the Cormier's family the good news. Cosima however knows she isn't exactly what Delphine's father wants for his beloved daughter, so she promises herself to try and change his opinion of her. But will she be able to do so or will Mr. Cormier still resent her?
1. Chapter 1

A/U: Hello everyone! I absolutely love Orphan Black and as soon as I finished watching the final season I couldn't wait to write a Cophine story. This is AU even if some clones from the show will be mentioned. I don't intend for this fic to be really long, I guess maybe three or four chapters but I still don't know even if I have a good part of it already written.  
Also I'm Italian so English is not my first language, and neither is French, so I'm sorry for any mistakes you might find.  
Okay, this author note is over so please, enjoy the story and let me know what you think!

* * *

 _Two months before._

It was the night of their four years anniversary, and the most fabulous date they had ever had since they started dating was coming to an end. Cosima had cared for every single detail of their night, everything had to be absolutely perfect for the love of her life, because she was going to ask Delphine _the_ question _._ The dreadlocked girl had started planning the date weeks before the actual day. She had booked a table in one of the most expensive restaurants in Toronto, the same one they went to when Delphine had gotten her promotion as Interim Director of the DYAD Institute last year after years of hard work and valuable research in the lab, some of which alongside Cosima.

The younger scientist had also asked Felix to adorn their bedroom with candles and rose petals, and to prepare the bottle of fine Champagne Cosima had purchased for the occasion in a bucket of ice while they were dining. Her friend had been more than happy to comply and help the girl get even closer to Delphine, Felix knew how much Cosima loved her girlfriend and he wanted their night to be perfect.

The ring Cosima had bought was, in hers and Alison's opinions, perfect for Delphine. Simple but sophisticated, it had reminded her of her girlfriend since the first moment she had laid eyes on it. It consisted of a simple band made out of white gold with a particularly shaped diamond set low in the middle and a row of two smaller diamond accents on the band, on each side of the main diamond.

Cosima had gone all out on this date, and maybe she had spent a bit too much considering her income, but so far she hadn't been disappointed. Delphine was worth every single dollar and, if everything went according to the plan, she would soon call her her fiancée.

Now, after Cosima had paid the bill, they were heading back to their apartment. The dreadlocked girl was pretty on edge, her hand had the steering wheel in a death grip and the blue box in the pocket of her tux felt like it was burning a hole in her left leg. Even though she knew there was no way in hell Delphine was going to reject her, she couldn't help being nervous. It wasn't every day she got to ask the love of her life for her hand in marriage.

"Hey." Her girlfriend said as soon as they reached their destination, "Are you okay? You look tense." Delphine raised her right hand and caressed her cheek tenderly.

"Yeah… Um, totally okay." Cosima smiled her toothy grin, reassuring the blonde that everything was perfect.

"You know you still need to tell me what this was all about." Delphine smiled back at her before grabbing her purse and getting out of the car, quickly followed by Cosima.

"Sure, don't worry babe." The brunette reached her girlfriend side and slipped her hand in hers, interlacing their fingers for the short walk to their apartment. "You'll know soon enough."

"Did you get a promotion?" The French tried to guess but Cosima's only response was to shook her head and silently wonder if Delphine expected her to get a promotion. She was aware that there was a significant difference between their wages, but Cosima managed to cover her part of the bills pretty well.

"Do I need to have a reason to treat my girlfriend to a nice dinner?"

The blonde furrowed her brow, "Oui. If you chose that restaurant you definitely have a reason, mon amour."

Cosima just lifted her girlfriend's hand to her lips and laid a soft kiss on her knuckles. She didn't intend to give anything away on what she was about to do.

When they finally reached the apartment, Delphine unlocked the door and Cosima followed behind her quietly, knowing the blonde was about to go straight to their bedroom to change, right where Felix had set everything up. A surprised gasp left Delphine's mouth as soon as she entered the room, Cosima wasn't disappointed either even though she knew what to expect. A dozen of candles were lit all over the room, spreading their soft scent and casting a romantic glow on the rose petals that adorned the surface of the bed. The bucket of ice with the expensive wine inside was carefully set on the bedside table, along with two wine glasses and a bouquet of twenty-four red roses. The whole atmosphere was made even more romantic thanks to the moonlight seeping through the curtains of the French window that lead to the small balcony right outside. Cosima smiled at her girlfriend's reaction and silently thanked her friend for helping with all of this, she owed Felix big time as he had postponed his date with the morgue guy he was seeing to set this up.

"Cosima, what is… Oh Mon Dieu!"

Delphine had finally turned around, after taking the beauty of it all in, to find her dreadlocked girlfriend kneeling on one knee in front of her with a blue box opened in her hands, a shiny diamond ring resting inside. Cosima was smiling up at her, beautiful in the black tux she had selected, but the blonde could see it in her eyes that she was nervous. Suddenly it all came back to her, from her girlfriend's sneaky behavior in the last two weeks, to the fancy evening they had just had. Tears started gathering in her hazel eyes as the importance of what Cosima was about to do settled in.

"Cosima…" She gasped once again but the other girl held up a hand to stop her from talking.

"Delphine I…I…" Cosima started but she too was very sentimental, "Man I had this speech so ready just five minutes ago!" In fact she had spent all the trip back home repeating in her head what she was going to say, the so well prepared speech she and Alison had rehearsed many times before, but having Delphine actually in front of her, so beautiful and emotional, had her stuttering and unable to remember a single word beside _I love you_.

"Cosima I…" Delphine started once again but the younger scientist had to do this on her own, or she wouldn't ever be able to forgive herself if she screwed up this moment.

"Delphine please, I need to do this right." Cosima took a deep breath then started speaking from the heart, looking straight in her lover's eyes. "I know we've been through so much. I know I'm not perfect and I know I sure as hell am not exactly how you'd want me to be. I know I still make a lot of mistakes and sometimes I know I push you too hard, but despite everything you still accept me as I am. You still love me and you still put up with me and my bad habits, my cheekiness, my smoking pot even when you've told me a hundred times you'd like me to stop. You love me in spite of my imperfections and I love you so much for it, Delphine. I love everything about you, you made me the happiest woman in the world and if I were to die tomorrow my only regret would be not having met you earlier in my life. I hope I can make you half as happy as you make me. I love you."

Cosima took one last deep breath before dropping the question which was burning a hole in her heart, "Delphine Gabrielle Cormier, veux-tu m'épouser?"

Of course the answer was a very emotional "Yes" followed by a full night of sweet love-making which surely assured Cosima of how much exactly Delphine loved her back.

* * *

 _Five weeks before._

"Oui maman." Delphine agreed. She had been talking to her maman since she came out of her office at DYAD. She had spent the last fifteen minutes listening to her mom telling her that she should go visit them soon and that it had been far too long since she went back home. The blonde was sure Cosima was already home, as the brunette now worked less hours then she did, waiting for her to come back with dinner. After all she had promised to buy Chinese take-out.

"Nous pouvons venir le mois prochain." She stated as she unlocked her recently purchased, metallic grey car, "Oui, nous. Cosima et moi." She rolled her eyes at her mother's surprised tone when she'd used the plural. The scientist guessed her fiancée would want to come along, she was always bugging her about going to France on vacation and she was pretty sure she and Cosima could both get two weeks off the next month. "D'accord. Au revoir maman."

Delphine put her phone back in her purse, then she got in her car and started driving back to their apartment, after making a quick stop to get their dinner.

"Bonsoir, ma chérie." As she had imagined she found her girlfriend sat on the couch reading a book while waiting for her, the television switched on even if she wasn't paying any attention to it. "I brought dinner." She held up the bag with their Chinese. "Cantonese rice, your favorite."

Cosima smiled and got up to approach her girlfriend, she slipped her arms around the older woman's waist and stood on her toes to kiss her briefly. "You know me so well, Dr. Cormier." She stated in her best sultry voice. She then took the food bag from her girlfriend's hand and headed to the kitchen, where she had previously set the table.

They both sat down to eat, Cosima moaning at the taste of her meal, "Man I love this stuff." She said, toothy grin in place and dorky attitude. These moments were some of Delphine's favorites, she was constantly reminded of how much she loved her fiancée just by watching her do the simplest things.

"Cosima?" The blonde started after they finished their dinner and moved to the couch to watch some TV. Delphine had to ask Cosima if she wanted to go to France with her, she was sure she'd really like to come along, but she doubted she would be as enthusiastic when she told her they'd have to spend at least a week with her parents. The last, and only, time her girlfriend had met them she seemed to get along pretty well with her mother but she wasn't sure she could say the same for her father.

"Yes, honey?" The brunette lifted her head from Delphine's lap, where the older scientist had been gently combing her fingers through her dreads.

"I spoke with my mother earlier today." She started taking Cosima's hand in her own, "She complained that it's been more than two years since I last visited. So…" Delphine smiled, "I was thinking about us…" She caressed her fiancée's face softly, "Taking a vacation to France next month."

"Woah! Really?!" Cosima lifted herself completely to a sitting position, cheeky grin already shaping on her face.

"Oui. We could take two weeks off." She explained, "Maybe spend one in Paris and the other one with my parents, in Lille."

Cosima had conflicting feelings about this vacation. Of course she wanted to spend a romantic week in the city of love with her fiancée, but on the other hand she wasn't particularly looking forward to staying with Delphine's parents. Well, to be fair she was mostly referring to her father. She had met Alfonse and Gabrielle Cormier only once before and that was three years ago. Delphine had introduced her as her girlfriend, the blonde had often spoken of her on the phone with her parents but probably seeing her in person, with her dreadlocks and her very West Coast style, had been a bit of a shock for the wealthy and proper French couple who had never thought of their daughter as a lesbian in the first place.

Gabrielle was a sweet woman though. She instantly saw how Cosima and Delphine were at ease with each other and how much in love they were but, unfortunately, she couldn't say the same for her father. Alfonse Cormier was somewhat old-fashioned, he barely acknowledged Cosima's presence for the whole time of his staying in Canada. He didn't seem interested in her at all and to the younger scientist it was clear that he didn't deem her worthy of his daughter. Cosima tried her best all the same, she respected that man in spite of his behavior toward her because she knew how important he had been, and still was, to her girlfriend. He was the reason Delphine had managed to realize most of her dreams and she was aware that without him, the blonde wouldn't be the same person she was so in love with.

Therefore the dreadlocked girl swallowed and decided she could endure a week in the company of Mr. Cormier. Not only that but she swore she was going to try and prove to the man that she could indeed be what his daughter needed, like she had been proving to everyone for the last four years.

"I'd love to come with you."

Delphine moved her head closer to Cosima and she leaned in, resting her forehead against hers, "I love you." She whispered before closing the short distance between their lips. Her girlfriend's lips were soft as usual and so loving, they were able to transfer all of Cosima's gentleness through that simple act.

"Dude, this will be great!"

The blonde woman could only smile at her companion's excitement, "Oui." Delphine switched position to lean back so that her head was resting on Cosima's lap this time. She closed her eyes for a bit while her girlfriend proceeded to brush her fingers through her curls. She then took the younger woman's free hand in her own and brought it to her lips, she laid soft, gentle kisses on her palm, then her knuckles and lastly on the inside of her wrist. "I was also thinking that maybe we could use this occasion to tell my family we are engaged…" Delphine trailed off waving her own hand in the air.

Cosima furrowed her brow slightly. She thought Delphine had already told her parents about their engagement, as it had happened weeks ago. A bad feeling was starting to settle in the pit of her stomach, she didn't want to think like that but, what if Delphine was having doubts? What if she had changed her mind and wanted to wait instead? Cosima was ready to go along with her girlfriend choices, no matter what, but she wanted her to tell her the truth. "You haven't told them yet?"

Delphine sensed the change in her Cosima's voice and lifted herself from her lap to face her properly. "Non. I would have told you if I had." She simply stated. She didn't think it was a big deal, but after seeing the flicker of hurt that for a moment was present on the other woman's face she decided to explain. "It didn't feel right to tell them over the phone. Mon amour, you know I have a close relationship with them, even if we are an ocean apart." She reached for her girlfriend's left hand and kissed her engagement ring. "You met my father, you saw how he is. He will probably be upset because you didn't ask him for my hand, I couldn't just tell him I'm getting married over the phone!" She laughed.

Delphine had meant her last statement as a joke but Cosima couldn't help but feel even more intimidated by that man than she already was. What would happen if he was too disappointed in his daughter's choices? She was sure he wouldn't even bother to hide it. The dreadlocked girl could already imagine the scene in her head. She could picture Delphine excitedly telling them they were going to get married, her mother congratulating them while her father scowled at them the whole time, before lashing out at her about her terrible decision. She had never met Delphine's brother though, she only knew he was a lot younger than her, nineteen or twenty years old, but she could only hope he didn't share the same views as his father.

"Oh… Okay then." Cosima tried a smile but probably it looked a lot more like a grimace.

"Hey," Delphine placed a hand on her jaw and gently turned her face so she could look her in the eyes. "It'll be okay, ma chérie."

Cosima smiled again, this time much more genuinely, and she leaned in to kiss her fiancée. In the end she figured nothing could go terrible wrong, she may never get Mr. Cormier's approval but she still had his daughter's affection, and that was the most important thing to her.

"Je t'aime." She whispered against their barely parted lips before engaging in another, more passionate kiss.

* * *

 _The day before._

On their last night in Paris they came back to the hotel when it was almost midnight. Their first week in France had been nothing short of perfect, Delphine had showed her fiancée around every corner of the city, and Cosima had thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. They probably spent a lot more of what they were supposed to, between the fancy hotel room and the romantic restaurants, but the blonde woman didn't care about any of that. The look of wonder on the dreadlocked woman's face more than made up for it.

They visited many locations and museums –Cosima particularly loved the Louvre, obviously – but her favorite moment had been on their second day in France. She and Delphine had just finished the two hours line to get to the top off the Eiffel Tower, it was a sunny day but the weather wasn't warm at all especially with the wind blowing like crazy. However once the younger woman had taken a look to Paris from above, she fell in love all over again. They spent a ridiculously long amount of time enjoying the view and each other's company, alternating between looking down and looking at the map of where the various cities in the world were located in regards of the Tower displayed at the top, making plans on which ones they wanted to visit next. To top it all Cosima even got a kick out of peeing in the bathroom located on the top of the Tower, while Delphine just smiled lovingly at her girlfriend's dorkiness, not believing her luck at having found such an amazing dreadlocked angel to spend the rest of her life with.

Of course during the whole week Delphine was the one who talked with other people, either to get information, to order food or to buy souvenirs, Cosima just limited herself to simple _"Bonjours" , "Au revoirs"_ and _"Mercis"_ muttered in a terrible American accent. At first the blonde woman had been a little disappointed at her girlfriend's lack of interest in learning her mother tongue, but then she gave up after trying several times to teach her only to have Cosima tell her only the words that the blonde used during sex. All of that ended with an upset Delphine and a smirking Cosima, quite pleased with her imitation of the French woman's moans.

The day before, when Delphine tried for the last time to convince Cosima, saying that she couldn't tell her parents only _"Plus fort!"_ , _"Encore!"_ and " _Baise moi!",_ the younger scientist had retaliated that Delphine could translate for her just as she had done the whole week, adding that "What would be the purpose of having a French girlfriend if you were not going to use her to ask for more crepes?". Upon hearing that statement Delphine had scoffed before deciding to give up completely.

Anyway, now they had just come back to the hotel after their last dinner in Paris. Delphine had chosen a nice, romantic restaurant not far from the Eiffel Tower. It wasn't fancy-looking like some of the places where they had eaten during the week, but it had a cozy atmosphere that they both liked. After the exquisite dinner they had decided to take a stroll along the Seine so they could admire the beauty of the city at night one last time before moving on to Lille the next day.

Once back in their room the blonde woman was surprised to find a bottle of Champagne waiting for them in a bucket of ice along with two crystal glasses.

"And this?" Delphine lifted the bottle out of the bucket, examining the label and looking rather pleased with the quality.

Cosima smirked and approached her fiancée from behind, slipping her arms around her waist. "I might have ordered it earlier today." She used a hand to brush the blond locks out of the way so that she could lay a soft kiss on the side of her girlfriend neck.

The older scientist moaned, "That was really nice of you." Her eyes fluttered shut and she tilted her head to give the other woman easier access to her skin.

"Yeah," She brushed her lips along her neck, "And you know what?" The dreadlocked girl trailed her hands up the blonde's sides and Delphine shivered, as Cosima expected.

"What?"

Cosima licked the shell of her ear before whispering in her best sultry voice, "I asked for it in French."

Delphine opened her eyes and turned around to face a grinning Cosima, "Vraiment?"

"Well yeah… I tried." She said, "I repeated it in English though. Just to be sure, you know…" she gestured with her hands as she usually did.

"It was really sweet of you to try, mon amour."

Delphine cradled the younger woman's face in her hands, staring lovingly in her dark eyes before leaning in to kiss her. It began with soft brushes of their lips but when Cosima pulled her even closer, Delphine couldn't resist anymore. She trailed her tongue along her girlfriend's bottom lip, asking for access, while her hands tugged at her dress, trying to pull it over her head.

Cosima moaned and Delphine used this opportunity to slip her tongue inside her mouth, quickly engaging in a sensual dance as soon as she touched Cosima's. The kiss quickly became heated with no control from either of them. Cosima was surprisingly submissive towards the taller woman, and quickly knotted her fingers into Delphine's blonde locks.

After a minute Delphine pulled away, and stared at Cosima who was now biting her lip. "I want you, ma chérie." She whispered into quiet room, just mere inches from the dreadlocked girl's lips.

Cosima just nodded and immediately began pulling at Delphine's dark blue dress, fighting to take it off. Luckily, it didn't take much time and soon her fiancée's lace underwear was revealed to her. Cosima took a moment to take in the view of the flawless body in front of her, she'd seen Delphine naked hundreds of times but still she couldn't help but stop and stare each and every time it was displayed. She tentatively raised a hand to trail the edge of the bra Delphine was wearing, feeling the smooth material underneath her fingertips, "Man I love when you put this on."

Delphine chuckled, "I know you do. Now will you please take off your dress? I feel underdressed."

Cosima quickly pulled the blonde down for a quick kiss before unclasping her bra, "Now you are underdressed." She then guided Delphine towards the bedroom, all the while laying soft kisses on the back of her neck and shoulder blades, kissing every mole and freckle she found there. Once her fiancée sat on the bed, she too peeled off her dress and underwear before straddling Delphine's waist, her panties the only thing between them.

Cosima made Delphine lay on her back, then she began kissing her neck, biting and licking and surely leaving bright red marks in her wake. She grinned to herself before proceeding down Delphine's pale chest and to one of her breasts. The younger woman flicked her tongue out at one of her fiancée's nipples and smiled at the subtle hiss of pleasure that sounded from her. Delphine didn't have particularly large breasts, but it didn't bother Cosima as she kissed and sucked around its entire surface, and especially the nipple, until Delphine's moans were the only sound she could hear.

The taller woman bit her own lip and wriggled with excitement and pleasure under Cosima's touch. When her hands finally reached Delphine's hips, she stopped and looked her fiancée in the eyes, reveling in the way they were semi-closed in arousal. "Please don't stop." She whispered as she gently grabbed Cosima's dreads and pulled her up for a kiss.

With that, Cosima slowly slid her right hand down Delphine's pubic bone, running her fingers through the neatly trimmed curls she found there. Slowly, the shorter woman reversed the direction of her hand, letting her middle finger press against her clit. She felt Delphine tremble with pleasure as Cosima's mouth found its way back down to the pale breast until her tongue found her place on the nipple, flickering it, before drawing it completely in her mouth.

"Merde!" Delphine's breathing grew heavier and faster as she grabbed handfuls of Cosima's long, luscious dreads and rocked her hips up and down, as the younger scientist inserted two fingers between her lower lips and expertly stroked her inside. Her girlfriend's fingers and mouth knew exactly how to move and touch her to push her to the edge in a matter of minutes. The fact that she was already on edge thanks to the teasing that took place at the restaurant surely didn't help with making the experience last longer.

"Cosima!" Delphine exclaimed as her body was flushed with heat, in a matter of seconds she felt her orgasm approach and then engulf her. Her whole body stiffened and her fingers gripped her girlfriend's shoulders until her knuckles grew white. Cosima kept up her efforts, helping her come down from her high until she felt Delphine's body relax completely against the bed. Cosima stayed still for a few seconds then, when she felt Delphine was ready, she pulled her fingers out and slowly raised them to her mouth, taking her time licking Delphine's essence from her fingers, slowly enjoying her unique taste while her fiancée recovered.

"Okay mon amour," Delphine raised from the bed and pushed her girlfriend flat on her back, reversing their position so she could be the one on top. "Your turn."

* * *

After Delphine had worshipped every inch of her girlfriend's body, they were both resting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, enjoying the bottle of Champagne along with the direct view their French window had on the Eiffel Tower. Delphine was in awe, she'd spent many years studying and working in Paris before moving to Canada but she'd never experienced the City of Love as intensely as she had this last week. Being in Cosima's company had somehow changed her view of the city and had given her once again the confirmation she didn't need that the dreadlocked woman was indeed the love of her life.

Although they were sweetly cuddling on the queen size bed in post orgasmic bliss, Delphine resting her head on her fiancée's chest and caressing the soft skin on her stomach as Cosima combed her fingers through her blond locks, the older scientist could see that the shorter woman's mind was wandering somewhere far away from their hotel room. She could actually notice her brown eyes staring blankly into the air, clearly not seeing her surroundings.

"Hey." Delphine raised her head, trying to meet her girlfriend's gaze, "Are you okay?"

Cosima blinked rapidly a couple of times, a bit startled by the sudden sound of her lover's voice, "Mh what? Of course I am." She sat up a little straighter, "Why?"

"Okay…" She reluctantly said, "You seemed a little distant." Delphine hesitated, still not sure about Cosima's answer.

"Yeah I was just thinking about stuff, you know…" She shrugged but Delphine was under the impression that her girlfriend looked almost tense. Maybe it was the way she was now fidgeting with her fingers, or the way she was once again staring out of the window without really seeing what was on the outside.

"Cosima." The way her name rolled off Delphine's tongue made Cosima shiver and the blonde woman certainly noticed. She knew what effect she could have on her girlfriend when she said her name like that, articulating every syllable. "You know you can tell me, ma chérie."

"I'm okay, it's just…" she trailed off, moving her hands in her usual passionate way. "I may or may not be a bit nervous about tomorrow".

"Oh." Delphine wanted to start telling her things to make her understand there was nothing to be nervous about, however Cosima beat her and spoke first.

"I know I already met your parents once but it was different back then," She sat up completely before moving on, "We were in Toronto, at our home, familiar ground, you know?" she tried to smile but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be able to get to know them better, but meeting them in _their_ house and meeting your brother for the first time, I-I just… Shit, sorry Delphine. I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling right now and I know you must be confused by-"

"Okay, okay." Delphine sat up too, grabbing both of Cosima's bustling hands in her own, trying to calm her down and stop her rambling, "I get it, mon amour. I get you." She let go of her right hand to stroke her cheek with her thumb, then leaned in to capture Cosima's lips in a short kiss. "I understand why you are feeling nervous, just remember that you are not alone, Cosima. My parents won't be as terrible as you are imagining them right now."

She could totally see her fiancée making up absurd scenarios in her head where her parents reject her and forbid her from seeing Delphine ever again. Maybe she was forgetting that Delphine was an adult, she had her life and a promising job in another country and she didn't need her parents' permission to date someone. "And as for Blaize," She continued in order to comfort her love even more, "You don't need to worry about him. If anyone is going to be happy to finally meet you, it's my brother. The last time we talked on the phone he couldn't shut up about when I was going to introduce you two."

Finally a small but real smile made its way on Cosima's face, and it made Delphine quite proud of the work she had done in reassuring her girlfriend. Cosima, satisfied with Delphine's words, at least for now, settled back onto the bed and slipped her arms around the blonde woman, pulling her closer.

"Thank you." She mumbled into Delphine's hair, breathing in her addicting scent while she could finally feel her eyes starting to close, ready to sleep.

"You're welcome, ma chérie." Delphine smiled against her naked chest, closing her eyes and letting the sound of Cosima's heartbeat lull her into slumber.

* * *

A/U: So, this was the first chapter. Let me know if you want more! Have a nice day everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

A/U: Here's the second chapter, thank you for your support! Constructive criticism is very appreciated!

* * *

 _Present time_

" _Holy shit!_ " Cosima was standing with her mouth agape, staring in awe at the building in front of her, "Delphine, is this where you grew up?"

It was late afternoon, they had just got out of the taxithat had brought them to the address Delphine had given the driver, located in the outskirts of Lille. Cosima had always imagined Delphine's family to be well off but, as she found herself in front of the Cormier's residence, she couldn't help but be surprised.

The big house, or rather small mansion, was standing proudly behind the massive automatic iron gate towering over them, a tree-lined road made its way through the elegant and colorful garden to a medium sized square with a cast stone fountain placed in the middle of it and, from what Cosima could make out in the distance, a large marble staircase that probably lead to the house's front door.

"It is." She simply said. Cosima kept looking around while Delphine ringed the doorbell mounted into one of the two columns at the sides of the gate, not even twenty seconds later it swung open. "Let's go."

The taller woman motioned with her head to the road. Cosima picked up her suitcase while with her other hand she grasped Delphine's free one, interlacing their fingers. Delphine, sensing her girlfriend's nerves, gave a little squeeze, before starting to walk up the road. Rather slowly, they made their way to the house, Cosima gaping at the beautiful trees, bushes and flowers which adorned the large garden.

"Maman loves gardening," Delphine commented, noticing Cosima inspecting a nearby flowerbed, "She grows all the flowers herself."

"Mmh," the dreadlocked girl hummed, "I was wondering where you got your green thumb from." She grinned. Back in their apartment in Toronto they had a small culture of plants that Delphine grew herself, they were mostly small plants that the French woman used when she cooked, such as sagebrush, basil and rosemary, but there was also the occasional flowers she liked and decided to nurture. Of course Cosima had tried many times to talk her into growing a particular plant that some used to relax, but Delphine had straight out refused to grow marijuana in their house. Cosima knew the other woman didn't approve of the joints she occasionally smoked, but she thought it was worth a try.

In a matter of minutes they arrived in the square with the fountain in the middle. The staircase was in front of them and on their left Cosima could see a garage with an dark red Aston Martin DB11 parked outside. While the younger scientist gawked at the car, the wooden front door swung open and a woman in her late fifties appeared in the threshold at the top of the stairs.

She had her long, chestnut hair tied in a loose bun, a pair of hairpins holding it in place and her eyes were the color of a striking light blue. She had a shapely figure, she was rather tall, her waist was tapered and she had a pale complexion, much like Delphine's. She wore an elegant cream colored dress which matched her heels, a pearl necklace adorned her long neck and her nails were accurately painted a soothing caramel color just a shade darker than her dress. Cosima recognized her from the only time they had met as Gabrielle Cormier.

"Bonjour maman!" They dragged their suitcases up the marble stairs and, once at the top, Delphine let go of Cosima's hand to hug her mother.

The older woman gladly returned the embrace, clinging to her daughter's shoulders, "Bonjour Delphine," she reluctantly let go of her and proceeded to look all over Delphine, most likely checking her wellbeing, "Tu m'as manqué! Comment ça va?"

"Très bien, merci." Delphine answered the question, "Je suis bien content de te voir."

Cosima stood by Delphine's side quietly listening to the two women catching up. At first she had been able to follow the conversation but after a few sentences she lost track and just stood there watching how much of Gabrielle behavior and movements had been passed on to Delphine.

After a few minutes, when Gabrielle seemed satisfied of her daughter's health, she finally addressed Cosima. "Hello Cosima, how are you?" She asked in a heavily accented English, for the American girl's sake, "Did you like Paris?"

"Hi Mrs. Cormier," she smiled and raised a hand to give a small wave, "Yeah I loved Paris. Delphine was a really great guide, she showed me around every corner of the city. It was really beautiful."

The other woman smiled, a few small wrinkles appearing at the edge of her blue eyes, "I'm glad you're enjoying your vacation, I hope my daughter made you taste some fine French wine," she let out a quick laugh, her eyes darting to Delphine for a moment before settling on Cosima once again, "And please, dear, call me Gabrielle."

Delphine was beaming at Cosima's side, pleased with their interaction. She didn't doubt her mother would get along hust fine with Cosima but she still loved to see her maman truly happy at getting to know her girlfriend better.

After that Mrs. Cormier seemed to realize they were all still standing outside and although the autumn weather wasn't cold at that hour in the afternoon, it was getting pretty chilly. "Please come inside."

As soon as they crossed the threshold Cosima was once again surprised by the sheer elegance and luxury of the entrance hall, even though she should have expected something like this after having seen the garden and the outside of the house. The first thing the American girl noticed were the white and black, diamond-shaped marble tiles they were standing on, her eyes were then drown to the beautiful crystal chandelier towering from above their heads. On the far end of the rectangular room, right in front of them, there was a large staircase which, at one point, separated into two smaller staircases, one heading right, and one heading left. On both sides of the hall Cosima could see that there were two other wooden door, they one on the right was open and she noticed a dining table, along with a fireplace. The other door was closed but she guessed that on the other side there must have been the living room.

"Can I take your luggage, Miss?"

Cosima was so busy checking out the room that she didn't even notice the young man that had approached them. He was probably just a few years younger than her, maybe in twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with seal brown cropped hair and dark eyes, almost black. He was clearly addressing her as he already had Delphine's suitcase in his hand. She wondered for just how long she had been staring at the hall because both her girlfriend and Mrs. Cormier were looking at her with puzzled expressions.

"Oh, uhm… Sure." She stuttered, handing her own suitcase to the man, "Sorry, I was just taking this room in," she smiled, "It's a very nice house, Mrs. Cor—Er Gabrielle."

"Thank you, Cosima." Mrs. Cormier smiled kindly then addressed the young man and told him something in French that she didn't understand, actually the only thing she could make out was the man's name, Raphaël. Maybe she should have listened more seriously to Delphine when she had tried to teach her some French.

"Oui, Madame Cormier." Raphaël answered then quickly started climbing the stairs.

"Papa and Blaize aren't home?" Delphine asked her mother and Cosima silently thanked her for speaking in English.

"Non. They went out for a hunt this morning but they should be back in time for dinner." She explained, "We weren't expecting you for another two hours or so."

Delphine nodded, "Oui. Sorry I didn't call you to let you know we were early."

"Ne t'inquiète pas," the older woman waved her hand, as if dismissing Delphine's worries, "Now, why don't you go get settled in? I will have Raphaël call you when your papa and Blaize come back."

"Trés bien maman."

"Later Gabrielle!" Cosima grinned.

"Later Cosima!" Mrs. Cormier smiled back before heading into what Cosima supposed was the living room.

"Come on, chérie." Delphine motioned towards the stairs and Cosima followed her from behind.

On the second flight of stairs they headed left, at the top there was a long hallway with several doors overlooking it, "Wow Delphine, really," Cosima didn't have any idea that her girlfriend had lived most of her life in such wealth, "What are all these doors?"

"There's a studio, a guest room, a bathroom, my brother's room," she pointed to each door they passed, the one that belonged to Delphine's brother was completely black save from the name _BLAIZE_ written obliquely in white. "This was our old playroom, but now my brother and his friends play videogames in it, and finally, this is my room."

They had stopped in front of the last wooden door. Cosima could have guessed it was Delphine's thanks to the name engraved into it in italics. Once the French woman opened the door and entered, Cosima stayed still on the threshold, gaping at the spacious and bright room that had been revealed to her. The first thing that stunned her was the size of the room, Cosima though it must have been at least twice the size of their shared bedroom back in Toronto. The California queen sized canopy bed, covered with light blue silk sheets, stood with the headboard against the right wall, their suitcases sitting at its feet. on the other side there were two other doors, one probably leading to a private bathroom, the other one to a walk-in closet. A large French window took up almost all of the wall opposite the entrance door, and, from where she stood, the girl could see the big balcony it lead to. On another side stood a beautiful dark brown, vintage double dresser, a vase of violets and a lamp placed on it and a mirror hung above it. Two Sanctuary Bling rectangular nightstand were placed on either side of the bed, each with a cute lamps on them and, covering a large part of the parquet, there was the finest Persian rug the dreadlocked girl had ever seen. There was also a circular, wooden table, along with two small armchairs and a small couch placed near it. Upon their head there was yet another crystal chandelier, this one smaller than the one in the entrance hall, and, just when Cosima thought the room couldn't get more elegant, she noticed what was situated in the far corner of the bedroom.

"Is that a piano?" A polished, black grand piano was indeed drawing the girl's attention and, not for the first time since she had arrived at the Cormier's residence half an hour before, she wondered just how rich Delphine's family actually was.

"Oui, mon amour." Delphine replied, "I used to play it but I stopped when I went to university as I couldn't bring it to Paris with me."

"Man, I love your room!" Cosima entered the room and, without wasting any time, started inspecting every corner of the room, "I can't point my finger on it but something about this place just screams _Delphine's_!"

The blonde woman just watched in amusement as her fiancée moved the curtain to the side and opened the French door leading to the balcony. Her bedroom, just like the other bedrooms of the house, overlooked the back of the garden, where a small pond full of water lilies was situated. The mix between the setting sun, the light breeze and Cosima's awed expression created a beautiful memory that Delphine would never forget.

The older scientist slowly approached her girlfriend from behind and when she was close enough, she slipped her hands around her waist, pulling her body against hers. Delphine then nuzzled Cosima's neck before laying a soft kiss against it.

"It's beautiful here." The brunette sighed, leaning back in the embrace and resting her head on Delphine's shoulder.

"Je t'aime, ma chérie." She said, taking in the combination of the view of the sunset in front of them and the familiar smell of her girlfriend's sweet scent, hands gently caressing her stomach through her shirt.

Cosima then turned around in her arms, facing Delphine with her usual toothy grin in place. She slipped her arms around the French woman's neck, pulling her down for a kiss. She brushed Delphine's lips with her own, letting her tongue caress them to ask for entrance. The other woman parted her lips slightly, enough to let Cosima's tongue enter and dance with her own. Delphine let her hands travel up her fiancée's sides, tracing her ribcage, the her shoulders and finally cradled her face. She then pulled back, smiling lovingly at her.

Cosima groaned, clearly still not satisfied by the brief kiss.

"Cosima, we should probably freshen up before dinner." Delphine grabbed her hand and pulled her girlfriend back inside her bedroom.

"Mmm." With her free hand, Cosima moved Delphine blonde hair to the side and softly sucked at her earlobe, "I think," She whispered, her lips brushing Delphine's ear with each word, making her shudder, "We have just enough time for a quickie in the shower."

"Cosima…" Delphine trailed off, still not quite convinced by the idea.

"C'mon! I know you want to." The blonde woman faced Cosima and found herself staring in an eager pair of dark brown eyes, grin still in place, "It'll be quick, I promise. No teasing," she frowned, "Well, not too much teasing."

"Okay." Delphine sighed, knowing that it didn't take much to convince her. After all this would be the first time she had sex in the shower in her own bathroom in France. Her sex life had been pretty much vanilla until she met Cosima, she'd never have agreed if one of her ex-boyfriends had suggested shower sex years ago. Of course she and Cosima had experienced it many times since they got together four years ago, but doing it in her childhood bathroom was a new experience for the blonde woman.

"Awesome! Let's go then!"

Delphine smiled and followed her eager girlfriend in the bathroom. She found Cosima mesmerized by the large tub she found there but she knew a bath would take much more time than a shower for them. "Maybe another time, chérie." She said as she crossed her fiancée to close the window curtains, "We don't have enough time for that."

"Yeah…" She mumbled, starting to undress, "But we totes need to try it out before we leave!"

"We will." Delphine stripped until the only piece of cloth covering her body were her lace panties. Cosima, who was standing naked before her, having already opened the shower faucet, was waiting for her with an eyebrow cocked. "What?" Delphine feigned ignorance, "I thought you wanted to take them off." She gestured to her underwear with a hand, a feisty grin on her face.

"Oh you asked for it, mon amour." She uttered in a terrible French accent, before quickly taking two steps towards Delphine, pushing her against the cold wall behind her while capturing her lips in a hungry kiss.

Delphine moaned, surprised by the sheer force of her girlfriend's momentum, and Cosima used that opportunity to slip her tongue into her mouth, gently stroking Delphine's. Both her hands then started their exploration of the blonde's almost fully naked body, starting at her hips, then travelling up her sides, enjoying the feeling of her girlfriend's soft skin underneath her fingertips. She took her time caressing her stomach, every time reaching a little higher so that she was almost touching her breasts. All the while their lips were engaged in a passionate battle for dominance that Delphine was quickly losing. Finally Cosima's hands reached up and cupped both of her breasts, the French woman shivered and then let out a loud moan when Cosima's thumbs stroked her nipples. Delphine pushed her hips forward, trying to gain some friction against Cosima. The other woman caught up with her eagerness and shifted her left thigh until it was placed between Delphine's, giving her something to grind on. Not wasting a second, the blonde began moving her hips up and down, trying to gain some friction against Cosima's leg. The brunette sensed her girlfriend's eagerness and remembered that she wasn't supposed to tease her as they didn't have much time. She trailed soft kisses down her jaw and neck, before settling near her ear, gently sucking and licking the skin she found there.

While her mouth busied itself with Delphine's ear, one of her hand moved from her breasts down her smooth stomach, then slipped underneath the elastic of her panties. She relocated her thigh so she could make room for her fingers, then easily run them through the neatly trimmed hair until she found Delphine's clit. The blonde moaned loudly as soon as she felt Cosima's touch on her most sensitive place, "Cosima… The shower."

"Okay." Cosima uttered and wasted no time in removing Delphine panties, disregarding them somewhere on the floor.

They managed to stumble inside the large shower without detaching their lips, Cosima's hands stroking every part of Delphine's body she could reach from a standing position. As the hot water sprayed them, the brunette let her hand wander down to Delphine's slit, she relished in the way her fingers were instantly coated in Delphine's arousal. She stroked up and down, from her entrance to her stiff clit, for several times, enjoying the sound of the moans her fiancée was making.

"Chérie, please…" Delphine begged, having already had enough of the short teasing.

Cosima normally would not have stopped teasing her so easily, however she knew they couldn't be late for dinner, especially if she wanted to win Mr. Cormier over.

"Fingers or tongue?" She decided to let Delphine decide how she wanted to get off, even if she was hoping for the blonde to choose her tongue.

Delphine bit her lower lip, then, after a couple of seconds, made her decision, "Tongue."

Cosima smirked and wasted no time in getting on her knees on the hard shower tiles. Delphine, not being new to this, leaned back against the cold wall, then lifted her left leg to rest it on the brunette's shoulder. Cosima massaged the skin of her inner thighs with both hands for a short moment, then proceeded to spread her lower lips. She was greeted by one of her favorite views in the whole world as Delphine's cunt was revealed to her, and soon she leaned in, burying her mouth in the heat of her girlfriend's pussy.

The dreadlocked girl trailed her tongue from her entrance to her clit, before drawing it into her mouth, flickering her tongue against it.

"Cosima!" In the meantime Delphine's hands had found their way to the back of her head and were now trying to pull her even deeper in between her thighs, all the while grinding her hips against her face.

Cosima was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by the combination of Delphine's delicious, musky taste, and the moans of pleasure that were coming from her. She also knew they didn't have time for round two, so she decided to care to her needs too. She hurried to slide her right hand in between her own thighs, while her left one stayed where it was to keep Delphine's lower lips open for her tongue.

Cosima moaned as soon as her fingers brushed her throbbing clit, the sound resonating against her fiancée's own clit, kept firmly between the brunette's lips, and caused Delphine to let out an even louder squeal.

"Cosima," The blonde's hazel eyes fluttered open, clearly wanting to enjoy the view of what was going on between her legs, "Are you touching yourself?"

Cosima just moaned louder as both, her fingers and her tongue, worked harder between their legs, wishing to take them both to the edge. She figured Delphine was already close due to the sound she was making and the way her small bundle of nerves pulsed in her mouth, she was becoming wetter by the seconds and she knew the French woman was only minutes away from coming.

"Plus fort, mon amour! Please!"

Cosima doubled the efforts of her tongue, lapping everything her girlfriend was giving to her and allowing her tongue to slip into her entrance form time to time to enjoy the feeling of Delphine's inner walls fluttering around her, before returning to her clit.

"Mon Dieu, Cosima!" She felt Delphine's fingers tighten around her dreads right before her hips started grinding harder against her face. A moment later she felt a gush of wetness hit her chin as the blonde's body stiffened and a stream of profanities left her mouth.

Right after Cosima had helped her girlfriend come down form her high, she focused harder on her own clit, the delicious taste of Delphine's wetness still in her mouth along with the encouraging words she was whispering, helped her come in a matter of seconds. Their eyes stayed locked for the whole duration of Cosima's orgasm and, after she calmed down, Delphine helped her to her feet and proceeded to kiss her sweetly, making sure to convey all the love she felt through the brushes of their lips.

When they finally exited the shower, Delphine could already tell that they weren't going to make it to dinner in time if they didn't hurry up.

* * *

Cosima had just exited the bathroom after putting on the last of her make up. She was finally ready for dinner and Delphine was waiting for them sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, woah!" Cosima gaped at her fiancée, "You look stunning." She approached the bed and then sat down beside Delphine, taking her left hand in both of hers. "I love you."

The blonde smiled and leaned in to join their lips. The kiss was short but really sweet and left Cosima wanting far more, unfortunately they had a dinner to attend and Delphine pulled away. The brunette was gently stroking her girlfriend's hand with her thumb when she noticed she wasn't wearing her engagement ring. She frowned and lifted Delphine's hand to look at it and indeed, the ring wasn't on her ring finger.

"You're not wearing your ring…?" she questioned, confused.

"Well I…"

"I thought you wanted to tell your parents we are engaged. This was the reason we came to France in the first place, wasn't it...?" Cosima's mind was running a hundred miles a minute but she didn't want to make assumptions.

"It is, Cosima," The French woman started to explain but Cosima couldn't let her finish.

"Have you changed your mind?" She furrowed her brow, "I mean, it's okay if you did. I just wish you'd have talked to me about it… I…"

Delphine reached up and cupped her girlfriend's face with her hand, trying to stop her rambling. "Hey, hey… Chérie, this is you jumping to conclusion. Please, let me explain."

Having known Cosima for more than four years, the blonde woman knew that she had a thing for jumping to conclusions. Sometimes she was right, but more often than not this caused problems and misunderstandings between the couple. Luckily they both agreed to always talk things out so they managed to solve the misunderstandings rather quickly.

"I want to tell them tonight, mon amour. I just don't want them to see the ring and guess." She explained while squeezing Cosima's hand, "I want it to happen on my own terms, do you understand?"

Cosima just nodded. She felt silly for having doubted Delphine's choices but she was feeling so insecure that it was driving her crazy. She looked forward to the end of the dinner so that it could be all out on the table, she didn't care if Mr. Cormier was going to be pissed about it. "Yeah, I'm sorry."

"Are you okay Cosima?" Delphine frowned as she took in her girlfriend's downcast look.

"What?" She asked, confused by the question, "Of course I am." She rushed to reassure Delphine, leaning towards her to lay a quick peck on her lips, "I'm just a bit nervous."

Delphine's eyes softened as Cosima spoke, "Oh chérie, there's no need to-"

 _Knock-knock-knock_

The blonde was interrupted by a knock on their door. With one last squeeze to her fiancée's hand, she got up to answer it even if she could guess who it was.

"Oui?"

As she thought, Rafaël was the one standing on the other side of the threshold. He told her that dinner was about to be served and everybody was already waiting for them in the dining room. Just as he finished speaking, Cosima appeared from behind her in her dark green dress and greeted the young man with a smile and a wave.

"So are you ready to go?" She asked, grinning.

Delphine looked at her with a raised eyebrow, she knew as well as Cosima that the dreadlocked woman was the one who was making them late, "Let's go."

They followed Rafaël into the hallway as he lead them downstairs. All the way to the dining room he and Delphine chatted in French about something that Cosima couldn't understand, but it seemed like they were catching up. It had been a lot of years since Delphine had gone back to France, so there probably was a lot of catching up to do. The brunette knew that the last time her fiancée had come back home was a year before they got together, so they hadn't seen each other for nearly five years.

Once they approached the dining room, Cosima could hear two voices talking animatedly in French. She recognized one as Mrs. Cormier's, while the other one was deeper and rougher but it wasn't new to her either, so she figured it must have belonged to Delphine's father.

Cosima was once again surprised by the looks of the huge room, it was similar to the rest of the house in style, so she really needed to get used to the fancy and luxurious appearance of it all. There was a marble fireplace situated in the wall in front of the entrance door, above it a huge skull of what must have been a male deer was hung, a pray of Mr. Cormier for sure, it had enormous horns and Cosima felt almost intimidated by it, she surely would have loved to see what it looked like when it was alive. In the room there were also several cabinets made out of wood, with glass shutters, some of them where filled with expensive liquors from all over the world, she could read the labels of several bottles such as the Yamasaki single malt Whiskey, or the Limoncello Villa Massa. Other cabinets contained either crystal glasses and shot glasses, or plates probably made with some awesome pottery. From the ceiling, surprise there, hung a crystal chandelier which shined it's light on every surface of the room. However, what caught the woman's attention was the massive wooden table in the center of the room, it could host at least twelve people but for now it was laid for only five.

Then Cosima shifted her focus on the people who were sat at the table. One of them was Mrs. Cormier, she was smiling at them from her seat and looked lovely in the beige dress she had chosen. Her hair had been let loose and it cascaded softly on her slim shoulders, her eyes were warm and welcoming and the brunette felt more at ease as she looked into them. The brunette then let her eyes wander the table and then noticed the boy seated on the right of Mrs. Cormier. The young scientist recognized him as Blaize Cormier, Delphine's younger brother. He had light brown hair, almost blonde, combed in a messy, side part hairstyle. He was staring straight at her and Cosima could see that he had taken the color of his eyes from his mother as they were as blue as hers. She didn't know his age for sure but he must have been around nineteen or twenty years of age. Even though the siblings were born more than ten years apart, Cosima could tell they were brother and sister. A lot of their facial features looked alike, they had the same shape of the eyes and a very similar nose.

After she had analyzed Blaize's face for the first time in person, she shifted her attention to the last person seated at the dining table. He was sat at the head of the table, the seats on his right were occupied by his wife and his son, while the ones on his left were free, already set for her and Delphine. He looked majestic, seated there with the fire form the fireplace and the head of the deer behind him. His hair were short and brown but streaked with grey, he also had a short beard and he had the same hazel colored eyes Delphine had. In the expensive suit he was wearing, he looked tough and powerful, around him he had the aura of a man who was used to having his way no matter what. His brow was furrowed, a few age lines showing on the side of his eyes. Cosima felt intimidated by him, just like she had felt when she had first met him two years ago. His judging stare was set on the brunette but she held his gaze, she couldn't afford to show weakness when he already thought she wasn't worth of his daughter.

"Bonsoir Papa," Delphine greeted, interrupting the silence, "Blaize." She waved at her brother, who immediately stood up to approach them.

He hugged Delphine and murmured something in French that the brunette couldn't understand but made his sister giggle and blush, then the boy turned towards her, "Cosima, it is nice to meet you!" he extended his hand for her to take, "You're even cooler in person, I like your hair."

Delphine laughed at his antics while Cosima smiled and took his hand, shaking it firmly. "The pleasure it's all mine, Blaize. I've been waiting to meet you in person."

Before the younger woman could say anything else, she noticed that Antoine had left his seat to come and greet them. He had finished talking with Delphine and had now resumed staring her down.

"Hello Mr. Cormier, it's nice seeing you again."

Delphine's father, unlike her mother, didn't comment on her use of his formal name and instead proceeded to speak coldly, "It is nice indeed, Ms. Niehaus."

Liar. Cosima knew he'd have liked to never have to see her again, especially in the company of his only daughter.

"Please, call me Cosima." The brunette said that just to be polite but she knew he wouldn't call her by her first name any time soon, if ever.

Mr. Cormier didn't bother give her an answer but instead he turned around and said something in French to Raphaël, who had been standing in the threshold this whole time. The young man just nodded and left the room.

"Well, take a seat." Mrs. Cormier spoke from her seat at the table, "Dinner is about to be served."

* * *

A/U: Hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think!


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